"President Obama, the United States of America needs personal finance classes, we need to end poverty and we can do that by giving people knowledge about finance."

-from a CT high school student 

THE MISSION: TO END POVERTY

2012 GOAL

To see real-world personal finance courses mandated for every school district and every K-12 student in Connecticut. The ultimate goal is to see this happen in every U.S. state.

FACT: America's teens (ages 16 to 19) today are suffering one of their worst unemployment rates since data began being tracked. The last three summers have seen the worst stretch for teen employment since 1948.

FACT: The teen unemployment rate is up 50% since 2007, just prior to the Great Recession. The rate in 2007 was 16%; in November of 2011, the rate stood at 24%.

FACT: The teen unemployment rate is up 85% since 2000 when the rate stood at 13%.

FACT: The African-American/Black unemployment rate (40%) is up 92% since 2000. This group suffers the highest unemployment rate of all measured groups. 

 
FACT: In the first National Financial Capability Challenge (a voluntary personal finance quiz for high schoolers) completed in early 2010, the U.S. Treasury Department and the U.S. Department of Education had a public goal of 1 million high school students taking the Challenge; the final results were 76,000 students which is 92% below the stated goal. 

FACT: In 2011, the U.S. Treasury's and U.S. Department of Education's goal for the 2011 Financial Capability Challenge participation rate was reduced by 924,000 students (94% reduction).

FACT: In 2011, only 1,675 students throughout CT were offered the opportunity to participate in the National Financial Capability Challenge; only 44 schools and 62 teachers statewide participated. 

FACT: In 2011, less than 1% of Connecticut high school students were given the opportunity to participate in the National Financial Capability Challenge by their schools; less than 17% of CT schools participated in the Challenge.

CT Statistics:

The CT Department of Education states that 67% of CT high schools offer a voluntary personal finance course. However, only 6% (10) of the 174 school districts in CT have mandated that personal finance classes must be a requirement for high school graduation. Stated differently, 94% of CT high schools do not require their students to take a personal finance course as a graduation requirement.